How to Host a Traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Check your calendar.

   Decide whether you want to celebrate Christmas following the Gregorian or Julian calendar.
   
   In Ukraine, the Orthodox Julian calendar is used.
   
   Gregorian calendar:
   Christmas Eve is December 24 and Christmas Day is December
   25.
   
   Julian calendar:
   Christmas Eve is January 6 and Christmas Day is January
   7.
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   Step 2: Invite your guests.

   Consider how much room and time you have.
   
   Know your limits so that your Christmas is manageable and enjoyable.
   
   You want to share this experience and peaceful time with family and friends who mean a lot to you. , This is a meatless and dairy free meal! The number twelve is significant because there were twelve apostles.
   
   You can easily find recipes online.
   
   Kutia (Кутя)- Poppy, walnut, honey, and wheat mixture Herring (Оселедець/oseledyts) Borscht (Борщ) with mushroom filled dumplings (вушка/ushka) Beet vinaigrette salad (Вінегрет/vynihret) Pierogis filled with potatoes and sauerkraut (Вареники/varenyky) Meatless Cabbage Rolls (Пісні Голубці/holobchi) Roasted Vegetables (Тушена ярина/tushena yapena) Fried Freshwater Fish (Смажена риба/smajena ruba) Braised Sauerkraut (Тушена капуста/ tushena kapusta) Kolach (Колач)- Christmas bread Dried Fruit Compote (Узвар/yzvar) Doughnuts filled with jam (Пампушки/pampushky) and/or Poppy Seed Roll (Маківник/makeevnyk) , These are called kolyiady (коляди).
   
   If you want to have music, look for songs online.
   
   Lyrics to the carols are easily found using online search engines.
   
   Examples include:
   Good Evening to You, Master (Добрий вечір тобі, пане господарю/ Dobry vechir tobi pane hospodaryu) New Joy is Here (Нова радість стала/ Nova radist' stala) News in Bethlehem Today (Во Вивифлеємі нині новина/ Vo Vyfleemi nyni novyna) Silent Night (Тиха ніч/ Tycha nich) God is Born (Бог ся раждає/ Boh sya rozhdaye) , This is optional.
   
   It consists of a puppet theater, but can be acted out as well.
   
   It tells the Nativity story and has a secular side to it that makes it relevant to current events.
   
   If you do not know how to conduct one, ask your local Ukrainian organizations if they will be performing one.
   
   If this does not work out, look online and try to find a video. , Check the recipes and get an idea of what you will need.
   
   Things that may be on your list include: honey, eggs, flour, yeast, oil, gelatin, bread, sauerkraut, potatoes, assorted forest mushrooms, onions, beets, beans, carrots, cabbage, parsley root, dill pickles, celery root, tomato paste, tomatoes, green peppers, green onions, salted herring, whole and filleted freshwater fish, wheat berries, poppy seed paste, walnuts, hazel nuts, pecans, almonds, dried fruits including raisins, prunes, apples, pears, apricots, cherries , You can start up to a month ahead of time.
   
   Prepare your baked goods and foods that can be frozen.
   
   Start making pierogis, mushroom dumplings, meatless cabbage rolls, and poppy seed rolls about a month before the holiday.
   
   Cook them, then freeze them.
   
   Prepare the borscht, aspic, and vinaigrette salad the week of the holiday.
   
   There is a lot of chopping! Borscht will marry and aspic will set- this results in nicely balanced flavors.
   
   Prepare kutia, mushrooms, doughnuts, and compote the night before.
   
   Store in the refrigerator.
   
   Prepare fried fish and herring the day of the holiday. , Pick a color scheme or theme to make your tree stand out.
   
   Traditional Ukrainian Christmas trees have nuts, candy, and fruits hanging on them.
   
   An angel or a star sits atop the tree. , You need a dinner plate, an appetizer plate, a soup bowl, and a salad bowl.
   
   Put the soup bowl atop the appetizer plate and dinner plate.
   
   This will be used for borscht and mushroom dumplings.
   
   After the soup, the appetizer plate is used for herring and vinaigrette salad.
   
   The dinner plate is used for the rest of the dishes.
   
   Fried onions and bread should be put on the table as a garnish for the prepared dishes.
   
   Optionally, dress your table with an embroidered table cloth.
   
   Put candles in the middle of your table.
   
   Traditionally, make sure to leave a seat and plate for the souls of family members who have passed. , You can purchase online or make your own.
   
   Traditional significance:
   This is used as a symbolic sacrifice of the wheat that was reaped during the autumn season.
   
   It has pagan roots.
   
   It is believed that the spirit of the ancestors reside in the bushel of wheat- didukh.
   
   Didukh translates to ancestors' souls. , This will be passed around by the family after prayer.
   
   Prosphora is a small loaf of leavened bread that is used during Communion in Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic traditions. , Spend some time relaxing and catching up with relatives before dinner.
   
   Optionally, have your guests wear embroidered blouses/shirts or dresses for the celebration. , Traditionally, children monitor this event.
   
   Traditional significance:
   This is done to commemorate the star of David that appeared in the sky to the wise men when Jesus was born.
   
   It is possible that the star could have appeared before your guests arrived or that your guests are starting to get pretty hungry.
   
   This traditional does not need to be followed strictly, however, it is important to be aware of it. ,, Pass the plate with holy bread (prosphora) around.
   
   Cross yourself before taking a piece of the prosphora from the plate. , The recommended order:
   Appetizer: herring, borscht with mushroom filled dumplings Dinner: pierogis, cabbage rolls, fried fish, braised sauerkraut, roasted vegetables, vinaigrette salad Dessert: kutia (poppy/honey/wheat mix), kolach (bread), dried fruit compote, and doughnuts/poppy seed roll. , Share stories and laughs with guests. , Don't clean up right away.
   
   Traditionally, you would leave the table as is so that the spirits of your ancestors have time to celebrate when you are sleeping.
   
   This also gives you a chance to enjoy your time with your family and friends, instead of washing and cleaning while everyone else is celebrating. , You can congregate to the living room, where you can sing carols or watch/perform a 'play' about the nativity scene- Vertep.
   
   Optionally, share gifts.
   
   This could be the time to exchange gifts and spend more quality time with family. , Sometimes the church has a concert or Vertep an hour before mass.
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   Step 3: Think about which 12 traditional dishes you can and want to serve.

4. 4

   Step 4: Gather lyrics to carols.

5. 5

   Step 5: Plan a Vertep (Вертеп).

6. 6

   Step 6: Create your shopping list for dinner.

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   Step 7: Start cooking and baking early.

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   Step 8: Decorate the Christmas tree.

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   Step 9: Set the table.

10. 10

    Step 10: Decorate the dining room with a bushel of wheat (didukh/дідух) in the corner.

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    Step 11: Get holy bread (просфора/ prosphora) from the Church.

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    Step 12: Welcome guests with warmth and cheer.

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    Step 13: Start eating dinner when the first star appears in the sky.

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    Step 14: Sing the religious carol

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    Step 15: God Eternal (Бог предвічний/ Boh Predvichnyj)

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    Step 16: before dinner in lieu of grace.

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    Step 17: Share holy bread drizzled with honey after prayer.

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    Step 18: Eat dinner.

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    Step 19: Take breaks during dinner.

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    Step 20: Finish eating.

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    Step 21: Sing carols

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    Step 22: or participate in/watch a Vertep

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    Step 23: or spend time with family.

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    Step 24: Make your way to Midnight Mass at your local church.

Detailed Guide

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